Meanwhile, reports today suggest basement side Aston Villa are ready to stump up £8million in January for wanted Championship striker Charlie Austin.

The QPR striker is being tracked by several Premier League clubs, including Sunderland, Newcastle United, West Brom and Bournemouth, who are all desperate to add further firepower to their forward line.

Austin said recently he intends to stay with the London club for the rest of the 2015-16 campaign.

But QPR director of football Les Ferdinand admitted last week that Austin could be sold in the January transfer window.

And finally, Sunderland officials are advising supporters to arrive early for Wednesday night’s clash with Liverpool at the Stadium of Light.

Almost 43,000 tickets have already been sold for the game and as cash turnstiles will not be operating the ticket office is expected to be busy.

Ticket collection points will also be very busy, with a higher number of collections of pre-paid tickets due to the festive period.

Supporters wishing to buy or collect tickets should do so in advance where possible or arrive early on the night, to avoid queues or delays.

The Stadium of Light ticket office will be open tomorrow (Monday 28 December) from 10.00am until 3.00pm, on Tuesday 29 from 9.00am until 5.30pm and on the day of the game from 9.00am until 8.00pm (kick off is at 7.45pm).